Warrant: Norwich police officer had sex with 14-year-old

Norwich - Former Norwich police officer Kenneth Nieves had sex while on duty with multiple women, including a 14-year-old girl, according to an arrest warrant unsealed Tuesday.

Nieves, 45, faces three counts of second-degree sexual assault and three counts of risk of injury to a minor. He is set to appear Monday in New London Superior Court.

Nieves began a four-year sexual relationship with a then-14-year-old during the winter months of 2003-04, according to the affidavit. The alleged victim, now 22, told state police, who conducted an investigation into Nieves' conduct, that Nieves would come to her workplace and have sex with her before driving her to her Norwich home in his cruiser. Nieves was on duty and in full uniform during many of the encounters, she said, and was married at the time.

Nieves joined the Norwich Police Department in 2002.

He turned himself in on the charges Dec. 6 and was released on a $50,000 bond.

Online records show Nieves' wife filed for divorce Dec. 12.

During his last court appearance, Dec. 22 in Norwich, Judge Hunchu Kwak ordered Nieves to have no contact with the alleged victim, even through text messages or a third party.

The woman told police she and Nieves had sex on a couch in the basement of her workplace, a veterinary hospital.

"Nieves asked the victim if she had ever done 'it' (meaning sexual intercourse) before," the affidavit says. "... The victim responded she had never done anything with anyone before."

Nieves also took nude photos of her, told her he loved her and bought her a sex toy, the affidavit says.

At one point, the affidavit says, Nieves told her, "You know you can never tell anyone about this, I would lose my job and go to jail."

The internal investigation into Nieves' conduct began in early September when Nieves told Norwich patrol Capt. Patrick Daley that he had had sex with a woman in his cruiser, the affidavit said.

Nieves resigned Sept. 30, shortly after he was placed on administrative leave. Police Chief Louis Fusaro said last month that the department was "in the process of terminating" Nieves when he resigned.

Fusaro said at the time that he could not go into details about the case but that his department began an investigation in early September into "improper activity" by Nieves. At that point, Fusaro said, the activity had not been reported as illegal.

Once the department realized a crime may have been committed, it immediately contacted the state's attorney and state police, he said.

"I can tell you that I'm outraged, as are my officers, by the behavior," Fusaro said. "It was totally unacceptable behavior."